Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-12-08
UNCLE SANS MAILS.
Synopsis of Postmaster-Gen
Villas Annual Report.

has Annual Report.
The General Condition of the Service SAT-
isfsctory - Recommendations for
Improvement-TheR Railway
Mail Service.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-The annual report of
Postmaster-Genera Villas has been submitted
to the President. In it the Postnnaster-General
says that the expectation of growth and i'm
provement in the affairs of the postal service,
INDUCED in previous reports, has been realized
during the past year. In part arising from an
extension Of the limits of mailable matter OF
the fourth class-ordered to meet the require
ments OF trade-and from the receipts of the
special-delivery service. but chiefly from the
greater employment of all postal facilities con-
sequent upon the rising business prosperity of
the country, faithfully reflected in the postal
service, the revenues have gained upon the
preceding year by nearly s4.S4O,0OO, attaining Q
height never reached before, despite the re-
strictive operation of various reductions in the
rates OF postage. Upon the other hand, the
study OF economy has not been without effect in
restraining the necessarily rising scale Of sex-
penditure. so that the increase of cash dis
bursements has but little overstepped g, 000, :
90.
Thus the deficiency charged upon the General
Treasury, which two years since was round
S7,oO0O0O, and a year ago about $1,000 less,
has been reduced almost three-sevenths. while
the fair augury from our present cir
cumstances gives hope that during the
current year it will nearly if not entirely
disappear. II there shall remain at the years
end any excess of cash expenditure above re-
celpts, it can not but be much less than the
hostages upon the mail matter of the Govern
ment itself, estimated TO be at least s. 0ol, 900
annually, and reasonably it's debt to the postal
service 1t may, therefore, be favorably af-
nrmed that from the beginning of the current
fiscal year the postal service has again become
substantially selt-sustaining; and the pretic-
ton ventured that if the revenues be not fur
ther crippled, and only similar ratio of in
creasing expenditure be held the next fiscal
year will yield a surplus which should, under
the same conditions, annually increase.
The prosperity of the service is the prosper
fly of the post-oflces, and the gains of the year
are marked in their advancement. The num-
Der of salaried offices at its beginning was, of
the firstclass, rs; of the second, 4o1 and OF the
third, 1859, total of 2.2A of the presidential
classes. By the annual review and readjust-
ment, based upon the returns of their business
for the four quarters ended March 81, 1887, it
was disclosed that on the 1st day of July the
net gains of the several classes were z in the
first, 35 in the second and so in the third, MAX
ing respective totals of 50 in the first 435 in the
second and 1879 in the third: in all, 1886. net
increase of %. This showing indicates less than
the real facts, because there were other offices
entitled to advancement from the fourth to the
third class, which, by delays in the necessary
reports were postponed until the next quarter.
And on the 1st of October there were added to
the thirdclass 45 offices by assignment pur-
suant to law, thus making the total number of
the thrd-class, at the time of this report, 1854
and all of the presidential offices, 2.381, tine
highest yet reached in the history of the de-
partment.
BY this annual adjustment many salaries
were raised within the several classes, and
compensation of the presidential postmasters,
as then existing, was fixed for the current
year at S3,SS 300, net increase OF 1884,,
500. or per cent. upon the adjustment of last
year.
The fourth class comprised on the 1st day of
July 81, 81 offices, the number having incre ased
during the year by 1,5i3-the establish
ments having been 3o43, and the
1900. The offices
were 439 less than the previous year, the
number OF that year being unusually large be-
cause of an accumulation of undisposed Of ap-
plcations from the former year. The mum Der
of discontinuances exceeded that of the former
year by $50, one of the good products of the sys-
tematic inspection of fourth-class offices begun
in accordance with the plan discussed in the
last report, by which the useless have begun
to be weeded out.
The net increase in the number OF post
offices was distributed in different portions of
the country as follows: To the New England
States, Is: to the five Middle States and the
District of Columbia. 2o2; to the fourteen
Southern States and the Indian Territory, 785;
to the three Pacific Slope States and Terri
tories us; and to the States and Territories of
the West and Northwest. 39j. The largest in
crease in any State fell to Pennsylvania,
to 11s, and In Nevada alone there
was decrease, eight IN number. but seven
having been established while fifteen were dis
continued. = : +
The appointments of postmasters numbered
during the fiscal year Is, 079, of
which 6S63 were to fill vacancies happening
upon the expiration of commissions or by res
ignations, 1854 upon removals or s suspensions.
$50 by death and g. 43 to newly established
offices. Among these appointments 1893 were
your commission to vacancies which happened
from the causes and in the respective numbers
By expiration of commission, $50;
by resignation, I22; by removal or suspension,
237; by DEATH 80, and upon assignment of
fourth-class offices to a presidential class, 145.
To more than 95 per cent. of the postmasters
(53053 out of s., 434 on the 1st of October) COM
pensation, in addition to money-order and spe-
business, is awarded by the allow
ance quarterly of all box-rents collected by
them, and of graduated commissions upon the
hostages upon matter mailed deficient postage
collected and sales Of waste paper and Irvine at
their respective Offices; all adjusted by the
auditor in settlement of their accounts. When
this measurement yields $3.50 per quarter for
four successive quarters, exclusive Of fees on
and special-delivery business, the
auditor reports the office to the department,
and it Is then assigned to the salaried class.
and the salary fixed upon an entirely different
basis, the volume of gross receipts at the office
rated by the act of 1888.
OF the whole number of offices chargeable to
the Government, eighty-six were on the 31st of
October in n
heating and lighting of which the Secretary of
the Treasury provides for out of the general
for the expenses of the public
buildings; 303 were under lease for different
terms at gross annual rental of 1855, SD,
besides fifty stations at the rental of $50, 621
and to the remainder money allowances for
rent, incurred and to be paid by the postmaster,
to the amount in gross for the year of s92, 643
having been ordered.
The average rental Of the 300 offices now
leased is $943, and the remainder provided by
allowances s604.41, and of the total Of both
sorts, as now provided for, is SS57.74; and doubt
less suitable premises can be secured for the
additional ones proposed, because of their small
requirements and location in small places, at
an average annual rental not exceeding $500
each. or a total additional cost of S435.S0 per
year for rent Add for heating and lighting the
sum of $50. 00,, and the annual charge
for quarters for post-offices will become ap-
81 100000, and increase from year
to year at the rate of3 to per centum.
The free delivery system was, during the last
fiscal year. extended to eight additional cities
which had reached the limits then required by
law of $4,000 gross receipts or 10000 popula-
ton, and were thus within the discretionary
OF the department.. These were
in Alabama, Wichita in Kansas,
Battle Creek in Michigan, Winona in Mime
sofa. Joliet and Rock Island in Illinois, Brad
fordin Pennsylvania and Rutland in Vermont.
49,,